Preheat oven to 350. In a large mixing bowl, add cake mix, eggs, oil, and water together. Use mixer until a dough forms. Stir in morsels and baking chips. Add to rectangular dish sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes until set in the middle. Use tooth pick to ensure the middle is cooked. While brownies bake, mix together vanilla frosting and food color until it’s green. Once brownies are done, add frosting on top.

Review: These were SO minty fresh - loved that. I only had a small bite of one and it was like danger danger danger! They were super thick and chocolatey, and the andes added minty crunch. The frosting was such a gluttenous add but they weren't "green enough" without it so why not? They went FAST. I think I should have worked on the presentation, and they would look cute with flags (which I felt were too much of a disconnect with a "beer fest" hehe.) Great recipe though - could see myself making it again for an event!

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

I hosted a January baby shower for my sister and a little over 30 of her closest friends. The cold weather meant I wanted to serve hot food, so the sternos, pans and stands (purchased at Costco) came in handy. I also made signs for each side of the pan, so guests could see the name of the dish, including main ingredients. Lastly, instead of one big pan of each dish, I used two smaller pans in each one and allowed guests to serve from both sides. I also made sure to include one meatless dish and one meatless salad - hoping there would be a little something for everyone. Please note, this menu does NOT include desserts. I ordered cupcakes for the event. As usual, if you notice anything missing or have any questions please let me know!

Cook pasta according to the package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 2 cups cooking liquid. Return pasta to pan. While pasta cooks, add chicken, olive oil and salt and pepper to a large pan. Cook chicken until no longer pink, about 4-6 minutes. While pasta and chicken are cooking, place tomatoes and next 6 ingredients (through black pepper) in a food processor; process until finely chopped. Combine tomato mixture and the reserved cooking liquid, stirring with a whisk. Add pasta to chicken pan, and add mix to pan. Stir well. Serve in tray and sprinkle top with feta.

Preheat oven to 400. Set a large pan (that has a lid) to medium and spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add sausage to pan, and top with lid. Cook sausage for 15 minutes, turning and breaking up with a spoon every few minutes. In the meantime, in a large bowl, combine parmesan, basil, ricotta cheese and 3 cups spaghetti sauce and mix thoroughly. Add cooked pasta. Stir. Shred now-cooked sausage with two forks. Add to mixture and stir. Divide mixture into two rectangular baking dishes that have been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Spread remaining 1 cup sauce on top. Bake for 12 minutes. Spoon into serving pans, pat the tops flat with a spoon, and sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and dried basil.

In a deep pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat. Blend can of beans with one cup water in electric blender until smooth. Repeat with second can of beans and another cup of water. Add blended beans to pan then add the tomato sauce, celery, chicken broth, basil, bay leaf, parsley, oregano, sea salt and pepper. Add 2 cups water and bring to slow boil. Let simmer for 20 minutes stirring occasionally. Add pasta and cook uncovered until pasta is al dente*, according to pasta directions. Ladle into pan, and top with parmesan and mozzarella.

*Do NOT cook pasta early on this recipe. It's important that it cooks in the other ingredients to make it less soupy/easier for guests to eat.

That Good Salad (double it for two salads)

Dressing (Make TWO of mixture below for two salads if you do one meatless):3/4 Cup EVOO2 cloves garlic, minced1/2 tsp. pepper1/2 tsp. salt1/4 cup lemon juice

Preheat oven to 350. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray. Warm a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and cook, tossing, 3 minutes until wilted. Add garlic and nutmeg and cook, tossing, 2 minutes. Transfer to a colander. Once cooled off, squeeze liquid from spinach and then add to a bowl with feta and basil. Use a knife to cut feta and spinach into smaller, easier to stuff, pieces. Butterfly chicken and open like a book. Cover with wax paper and pound to an even ¼-inch thickness. Place a quarter of the mixture along the center of the breast; roll and secure with toothpicks. In the skillet, heat 1 tsp oil over medium-high heat. Add stuffed chicken and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until the bottoms are golden. Turn and cook another 5 minutes. Transfer chicken to baking sheet and cook for 15 minutes. Bring pot of water to a boil; add orzo and cook according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 2 tbsp of liquid, and toss with lemon zest, lemon juice, parmesan, parsley and remaining 2 tsp olive oil. Use liquid if needed.

Review: Whoa! It was a great recipe. The chicken was super tender and juicy, and the stuffing was flavorful. The garlic gave the spinach a nice flavor. The pasta paired perfect with it - the parmesan thickened up the orzo, and the parsley, olive oil and lemon zest (more so than the juice) gave it a lot of punch. It was a nice, light meal with lots of color that was very filling!

Review: I liked this but didn't love it. I think with this one I just really missed the meat and that made me sad. It was great hot, but not as good reheated. I don't hate it or anything, I just would give it a 3/5. I normally don't post my 3/5 recipes, but I LOVE the idea of a bean pasta and want to work with this one to hopefully like it more. Any ideas?!

Preheat the oven to 450. In a medium bowl, combine black beans, tomatoes, scallions, cumin, chili powder, salt and pepper. Roll dough into a circle. Top with tomato sauce, sprinkle with hot sauce and spread using the back of a spoon. Then top with black bean mixture, and sprinkle with cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

Review: Spicy & YUMMY. The seasonings added a lot to this but my favorite was probably the juicy tomatoes. I topped mine with a bit of fat-free sour cream, and could see adding cilantro. The original recipe called for corn, but that was just too carby for me! Speaking of carbs, yes, 73 is a good bit. I normally don't go about 60 on a recipe, but this is a great, protein-packed meatless option that i'm sure I'll be having again. It was simple to put together and a great weeknight meal. It also reheated well - I just wrapped it in foil and brought it to work!

Review: Yum! I loved the idea of using arugula in a new, different way. I also love how green this pasta looked, but without using basil. I use basil SO much, so it was nice to mix it up. I like this light, summery pasta, and thought it was quick to put together (definitely under 20 minutes, including boiling the pasta for 11 minutes). And note: if you forget to reserve the water - no worries. I used 1/4 water straight from the tap after I forgot, and it still tasted excellent! If you like arugula, definitely try it.

Preheat oven to 375. Cook pasta per package instructions. Sauté onions in olive oil until translucent. Add garlic and cook for another 2 minutes. In a large bowl whisk together eggs and milk. Add broccoli, cheese and onions. Add pasta, salt and pepper to taste. Toss to coat. Transfer to a greased 9 inch pie dish and sprinkle with paprika. Bake for 25 to 30 minute or until egg is set and top pieces of pasta are slightly crunchy and brown. Remove from oven and let rest before slicing.

Review: Yum!! SUCH a fun breakfast idea, and come on, who doesn't love pasta! I enjoyed it and think lots of variations would work (meat versions like ham & onions or sausage & basil; other veggie versions like tomato, feta & spinach, etc.). I can't wait to make it again - and what a cheap "quiche crust" - pasta! It stayed together well and cooked up perfectly. The original recipe didn't call for bread crumbs, but we agreed it needed something crunchy and landed on bread crumbs so I factored them into the nutrition above. YOU GUYS - I'm so excited I found this - bring on more breakfast pasta pies!

Preheat oven to 475. Toss tomatoes, zucchini, squash, peppers, mushrooms, salt, garlic and oil in a bowl. Place vegetables on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Spray cooking spray over top of vegetables. Roast for 22 minutes, until golden brown. In a medium-sized bowl, add ricotta, egg, 60 grams of mozzarella cheese, parmesan cheese, oregano, basil, salt and pepper. Combine until mixed thoroughly. Layer an 8 x 8 inch baking pan with one cup spaghetti sauce. Lay two noodles on top. Spread half of ricotta mixture on the noodles. Then spoon half of vegetable mixture on top and finish by layering on spinach leaves. Repeat with one cup sauce, two noodles, remainder of ricotta mixture, remainder of vegetable mixture and remainder of spinach leaves. Top with last two noodles. Then top with remaining sauce and remaining 70 grams of cheese. Bake covered** in a preheated oven at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake for 15 minutes.

**This really fills the dish, so make sure you spray the foil with nonstick cooking spray and place spray-side down over the top so that it doesn't stick to the cheese.

Review: Seriously? I've never made this before?! What?! Loved it. Austin said it was fantastic, and he didn't miss the meat. It was a perfect blend of veggies and cheeses - it was OOZING cheese - fantastic. I loved the roasted veggies, too. It really added so much to this dish (over sautéing them, I think!). Next time, I could see myself doubling the veggies, then using half over quinoa and then half for this lasagna - I would just hate to not roast more now that I now how awesome they come out! And while this does occupy your oven for a bit of time between the roasting and cooking, if you're pre-cooking other meals you could easily be cooking on the stove or in a slowcooker, or prepping for your other meals on the cutting board!

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large skillet on medium high. Add garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice and basil. Cook for 3 minutes. Put grated zucchini in a colander, squeeze out some of the moisture then add it to the skillet. Turn heat down to medium low and continue to sauté veggies. When water is boiling, cook pasta for 6 minutes. Do not drain. Instead, use tongs to transfer cooked pasta into the skillet with the zucchini. Use the tongs to toss the pasta with the zucchini and cook for another few minutes until it is all combined. Then add salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and parmesan cheese and stir one more minute.

Review: Awesome. I can't get over what a great meat substitute zucchini is! Also, I've never grated zucchini. It couldn't be easier! The original recipe called for much more olive oil, no parmesan, more pasta, more servings, and no lemon juice. I didn't miss these items and liked the idea of 4 servings. And when I made it, I used a bit less zucchini - love the idea of a pound and think it would add a lot (so I changed it above). Also, I loved the garlic and red pepper flakes - great flavor. It tasted like a scampi - but with zucchini! I will make this again - loved the pasta and the lemony flavor - that zest goes such a long way!

Add quinoa to pot, along with water and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat to simmer and cook for 12-15 minutes, until water is absorbed and quinoa can be fluffed with a fork. Meanwhile, add garlic, salt, lemon juice, black pepper and olive oil to a large bowl. Stir, then add chickpeas, almonds and bell pepper. Mix well. Once quinoa is done, add to bowl and stir. Divide mixture into four servings (each 228 grams) and serve each over 15 grams arugula.

Review: Wow. I was nervous about this. I love quinoa, but didn't know how I felt about a "warm salad." Well, I'm a fan! The quinoa and beans made a soft, almost creamy mix, but the nuts added a nice crunch, along with the arugula and peppers. It was a blend I would have NEVER put together on my own, but it tasted AMAZING. The original recipe called for 1/3 black olives too... I'm glad I left those out. I feel like they would have overpowered the dish. There is nothing else I would change about this - VERY happy with this rainbow, meatless dish! I will say, and I noted above, that more arugula would have been welcome (and clearly wouldn't have added calories!). And speaking of calories (and fat) I don't think I would have missed it if say 1/2-1 tbsp of oil wasn't in here - just saying!

Cook farfalle according to package instructions until al dente. While pasta cooks, whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and red pepper flakes in a large bowl. Add tomatoes and toss to combine. Set aside. Drain pasta, rinse with cold water, and once it's pretty dry add to tomato mixture and Stir well. Divide pasta/tomato mixture into 4 servings (each should weigh about 218 grams) and then add about 10 grams of arugula, 14 grams of blue cheese and black pepper, to taste, to each serving.

Review: YUM, YUM YUM. So glad to have made this one today. I LOVED the flavors and think it's even better 'next day.' That little bit of blue cheese went such a long way, and I loved the flavor the arugula added. And the sauce got SO tucked into those little pieces of cherry tomatoes that it was pretty fabulous. Also, I thought the 'dressing' mix was really fresh and light - this will be a perfect recipe for the spring and summer!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe from Better Homes and Gardens
Makes 36 cookiesDISCLAIMER: These are NOT healthified. I know, I know -then why are they on the site? They're on here because we do a St. Patty's party every year and they're awesome. The end. Don't hate me! :)

Nutritional Information: This is not healthified! It's just a fun event dish for St. Patrick's Day. Or maybe Christmas. I dunno - I guess you could make green & red cookies - fun! Anywho - no nutritionals today! :)

Review: Wow. It's like a chocolate thin mint. Move over girl scouts - i've met your match. I had a half of one of these and was pretty dang impressed with myself (j/k - it's a super easy recipe). I'll definitely make this again and could see this recipe being used again for sure! Probably a fun one for kids, too. :)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Coat a rectangular dish with cooking spray and set aside. Cook penne according to package directions to al dente, drain and set aside. Heat olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms, onion and 'optional' ingredients. Sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add red peppers, spinach, oregano, and black pepper; sauté 3 minutes or until heated through. Process cottage cheese in a food processor or blender until very smooth. In a large bowl, combine spinach mixture, cottage cheese, pasta, chicken, 2 oz. cheddar cheese, milk and soup. Mix thoroughly. Spoon mixture into baking dish. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese and remaining cheddar. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned and bubbly.

Review: We really enjoyed this dish! Super creamy and flavorful, I think it will be even better on the reheat! It was my first time cooking with cottage cheese and I have to say - YUM! Loved how much protein it added too. This is a great 'rainbow' dish and I will certainly be making it again! This was filling, fabulous and while it wasn't the quickest dish to make, it makes 6 servings which always makes me happy. Because of the creaminess I wouldn't shy away from freezing this one either. Head's up: this one takes a while to put together with the dicing, cooking spinach and cooking chicken!

Review: I think this one tasted best right after we made it. When we reheated it, it was a little bit dry. Probably because I didn’t use more oil. I added tomatoes in to the dressing part, and think it will improve the dryness. Or, I would suggest adding a 1/4 cup of nonfat Greek yogurt (like Fage). Regardless, this was a great, flavorful recipe – I love the dressing and it’s a super colorful and tasty dish. I think it’s going to make a great spring and summer staple around our casa. The pepperonis can be a fun add on, but of course no biggie to keep it meatless, which is what we're moving toward doing 1-2 days per week at our place!!

In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Let chicken cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add onions and red pepper. Cook for 2-3 minutes until onions and peppers are slightly softened. (The chicken and vegetables don’t have to be fully cooked as they will simmer and cook further in the next step.) Add chicken broth, coconut milk, fish sauce, cayenne pepper, brown sugar and curry powder. Stir to combine. Bring soup to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve a ladle or two of the soup over a scoop of rice and garnish with more cilantro, if desired.

Review: This one was a major win for us! I loved the flavor, loved the basmati rice and am a huge fan of anything with coconut milk and curry powder - yum! The cilantro was great too and I liked how much color this dish had with the red pepper. It was a nice consistency - almost like a soupier curry with a pretty this sauce, but the rice helped thicken it up. We will definitely make this again - no changes!

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a rectangular casserole dish with nonstick cooking spray. In a saucepan mix cheese and soup. Heat until the cheese melts, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. To make the filling- in a bowl mix cream cheese and butter until smooth, add garlic powder. Add in chicken and cheese. Mix until well combined. Add mayonnaise. Stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle a small amount of the chicken soup mixture on the bottom of the casserole dish. Unroll crescent rolls on wax paper, and separate into 4 rectangles. Press seams together. Divide mixture into four, and top on each crescent rectangle, then pick up one side and fold over to the middle. Pick up the other side and do the same. Press together the new seam, flip it over and put it seam side down in the dish, then use your fingers to press the sides closed. Repeat with the other three. (make sure to put the four pockets as far away from each other as possible in the pan). Drizzle remaining soup mixture on top and sprinkle cheese on top. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

Review: Loved! So creamy and fabulous. I used to eat a recipe similar to this in college - but it was all-fat! I liked combining the crescents into one large (rather than two small) -it made the filling stand out more and it was more fun to eat. The shredded chicken went well with this, and the garlic powder gave it a nice kick. I also couldn't get over how creamy the mayonnaise and cream of chicken made this dish - it was definitely comfort food to the max an something I would crave if I was ever tired or just wanted something "bad for me." :) I could see myself doubling this and freezing half!